Chinese Chili

Okay… here’s one for the fusion-folks – a mashup of cultures with a familiar look but an unexpected taste!

I was looking for a brisket recipe and stumbled upon this from the New York Times. I set my skepticism aside and decided to go for it. I’m rather glad I did. It’s pretty good!

I did my own twist on things, of course… The original recipe calls for 2 large onions – I used one and added leeks and shallots. It then called for 2 jalapeños and 1 habanero pepper – I had hot peppers from the garden. I used a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for the beer and added two jars of our home-canned beans – the recipe calls for serving it with black beans, fermented black beans, rice, and fried noodles. I thought that was a bit of overkill…

It also called for a tablespoon of rice vinegar at the end. I used black vinegar because I have black vinegar. It’s kinda cool. The original recipe also called for a full tablespoon of the Chinese Five Spice. It can sometimes be a totally overwhelming spice, so I used half that amount – and I thought it was perfect.

Chinese Chili

adapted from Florence Fabricant / NY Times

2 pounds lean brisket

¼ cup soy sauce, more to taste

¼ cup hoisin sauce

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 large hot peppers, minced – to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

2-3 tsp five-spice powder – to taste

12 ounces beer, preferably amber ale

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon black vinegar

2 cans beans of choice

Cut the meat in 1/2-inch dice. Heat a tbsp of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot with tight-fitting lid.

Add meat and cook until it loses its redness. Transfer meat and any juices to a bowl. Toss with soy sauce and hoisin.